Chinnor Cement Works

In 1908, Mr William Elijah Benton a mining engineer
from Acton, founded a small business to manufacture lime on the southern edge
of Chinnor. This eventually consisted of five Beehive Lime Kilns producing lump
lime for use in both construction and agriculture. In 1919 he added a small
cement plant which used Flare Kilns (that had to be loaded and unloaded by
hand).

By 1928 the business had grown and the first rotary kiln was commissioned and
following progress and development, the Chinnor Cement & Lime Co. Ltd was
formed in 1936 and further investment followed, with kiln No.2 being installed
in 1938. A further kiln No.3 was added in 1958 and the Company had also grown,
becoming Chinnor Industries Ltd; by 1962, the original rotary kiln had been
replaced by a new No.1 inclined rotary kiln and the site extended to almost 200
acres. On 1 January 1963 the ordinary shares were acquired by Rugby Portland Cement
and the plant became one of only six major cement factories operated around the
UK.

In latter days, with its 175 ft. high concrete chimneys as landmarks, the
factory could be seen from far over the Vale of Aylesbury. Chalk, which was the
main raw material, was being quarried at the amazing rate of 400,000 tonnes a
year to make 225,000 tonnes of cement. The output of the factory was
distributed in a fleet of tangerine-painted bulk delivery road vehicles. But it
was the inward coal and gypsum traffic that also fed the thriving Chinnor
Cement Works, that so fortunately saved the branch from being lifted after its
passenger services had ceased in 1957. The heritage line of today is thankful
that it happened, for without such traffic, there would be no CPRR now! For
example in 1979 over 76,000 tonnes of these minerals were passing over the
branch annually: 61,000 tonnes of coal, arriving as washed slack from Bolsover
Colliery in Derbyshire, was moved in 3,900 wagons of 16 or 24 tonnes capacity (the
fuel fired the inclined rotary kilns at 2,650 deg. F); 15,000 tonnes of crushed
gypsum rock (sulphate of lime) came from shallow mines at East Leake near
Nottingham and were moved in 1,000 wagons (gypsum is used as an additive that
retards the setting rate of the cement).

But changes within the construction and minerals industries meant that things
could not continue and the factory ceased production in 2000. The buildings and
kilns remained in a derelict state until, in 2006, the land was purchased by Taylor
Wimpey for longer term redevelopment as housing. The works were finally
demolished in 2007/8 and the only remaining building is a Grade 2 listed
Beehive Kiln, dating from the earliest years (built 1908).

Social comment: There was once an old adage or country-folk saying that
train and time wait for no man, but William Elijah Benton, founder of
Chinnor Cement Works, a frequent passenger on the Chinnor branch, was probably
one exception. He had the habit of announcing his train journeys by whistling
from his office door across to the station and be it noted, no train driver
dared to leave without him. Norman Molyneux Benton, who succeeded his father as
Chairman & Managing Director, was wont to arrive at the booking office
window and say ‘my piece of cardboard please’; his destination
was always made known to the station staff in advance.